EXPLORATION, DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT
1492-1700
“Thus, out of small beginnings greater things have been produced…so as one small candle
may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many…”
Europe Moves to Expansion
Improvements in Technology The Renaissance led to an
explosion of new technology that made distance travel an option
Religious Conflict The Catholic Church took
hold in Spain and began an aggressive exporting
The Protestant Revolt in North Europe led pilgrims to seek freedom of worship
Each group wanted its own Christianity to be dominant
Expanding Trade This provides an
economic motive for expansion
The land route to Asia had been made dangerous by the emergence of the Ottoman Turks
Developing States These nations that
developed began to gather the vast resources needed to finance the trips of exploration
Columbus
As we know, Columbus did not “discover” America
Columbus did have a great impact on the world
His legacy is the opening of the “new world” to trade and exploitation by Europeans.
Spain and Portugal were the pre-eminent naval powers of the time
They felt a right and a duty to spread Catholicism to the new world and to exploit its resources
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Early English Settlement
Early Problems in Jamestown:DiseaseSwampy landIndian attacksPoor leadership and focus
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Jamestown
How did it survive?John SmithTobaccoThe colony of Virginia came under control of
the British monarchy as the Virginia Company went bankrupt
The Puritans
The Plymouth ColonyThe Puritans wanted to
remove all vestiges of Catholicism from the Anglican Church (Church of England)
The Pilgrims established the Plymouth colony as a place to practice the Puritan religion
They were NOT tolerant of other religions!!
In a view of things to come in New England, fish, fur and lumber become economic staples
Massachusetts Bay Colony In 1629 a new group of
Puritans gained a royal charter for a new colony
Just one year later, a wave of new Puritan immigrants, including John Winthrop, came to the New World
This was known as the Great Migration
Most were seeking freedom or fleeing the civil war in England
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The Baby Steps to Democracy!!
Early Political InstitutionsMajority Rule
Took the form of the Mayflower CompactRepresentative Government at Jamestown
The establishment of the House of Burgesses
Representative Government in Massachusetts Members of the Puritan Church The town hall meeting
Limited Democracy: Only white male landowners were generally
allowed to participate in the political process
Native Americans
Spanish Policies:Conquest, disease and conversionA class system developed w/ the Spanish at the
topEnglish Policies:Initially, trade and coexistenceEnglish had limited respect for the N.A. cultureFrench Policies:The French generally supported the Native
populations in the NorthThis was to maintain control of the fur trade